Following the Map
by DollyPop12
Summary: Stein is an exasperated driver. Marie has road envy. And Spirit feels a little cramped in the car with his two best friends since their sexual tension takes up most of the space.


"Marie, you aren't allowed to drive."

"And why is that, Franken? Is it because I'm a woman? Because I'm eyeless!?"

"No to the first, yes to the second."

"It's because I'm eyeless?"

Spirit gasped. "Stein, she can't help it."

"She has no depth perception."

"That's not even true," Marie huffed, reaching out to slap Stein's shoulder and missing by a few centimeters. Stein looked down at said shoulder, as he paused at the stop sign and cocked an eyebrow. Marie blushed, huffing and folding her arms.

"You must have moved."

"Yeah, no. My point."

"Stein, let the little lady drive."

"Despite popular opinion, I do value life."

"I'm not a bad driver!" Marie insisted.

"Depth perception," Stein reminded.

"But-"

"You have none," he continued.

"Franken-"

"No depth perception."

"I have some!" she urged.

"12.6% accuracy does not placate me."

"Wow, check out grump," Spirit said from the backseat, leaning forward to change the radio station.  
Stein instinctively slapped his hand away, making sure to keep control of the wheel.

"I despise you," Stein said easily.

Stein stepped down harder on the gas pedal as he took a particularly curvy turn, forcing Spirit into the window from the momentum. Marie swayed slightly.

"I would have been able to make that smoother," Marie said.

"You would have crashed us into the pole."

"What pole?" Marie asked, twisting around.

"The one on the left."

"I didn't see it," she said, pouting.

"Because you cannot see out of your left eye."

"Stein-"

"Because it is obscured by your eyepatch."

"Stein, I swear to Death-"

Spirit reached between the two of them to change the station again, and was slapped away by Marie's hand.

"DeathDAMN, Marie!"

"Stein, just let me drive a block, please?"

"We would get lost," Stein remarked, carefully changing lanes so he could take a left turn.

"We would not!"

Stein didn't even bother remarking upon that. They drove quietly for a few minutes while Marie stewed and toyed with her eyepatch. She sighed, unable to stay angry for long while the upbeat music was playing, anyway. Because the hammer lived with her meister, they both had developed a tolerance for one another's taste of music.

Though Stein was driving, he let Marie choose the stations because a happy Marie was a happy Franken. Marie appreciated that, feeling herself smile (she really really really really really really liked that song) and decided to forgive her meister: she could always request to drive when she went for her permit again. She always failed the vision test, but sometimes they let her keep the paper after they stamped it thoroughly with warnings.

Spirit, who did not live with them and didn't have to put up with Marie's moodiness when things didn't go her way, had no respect for the delicate balance act that was Stein and Marie's careful give-and-take relationship. When Spirit reached for the final time, both people in the front seat reached to slap his arm. Spirit yelped and cradled it to his chest. Marie blinked at Stein and Stein felt a grin forming.

"Now that I was proud of," the silver-haired man said. Marie blushed delicately.

"Yeah?"

"Mhm."

"Oh, well. Thank you," she purred, carefully tucking a stray lock of hair back behind her ear.

"Excellent synchronization."

"Oh, it was nothing."

"No, no. It was very elegant," Stein assured, peeking at her from his peripheral.

Marie made sure to bat her eyelashes at him just so. "I appreciate that."

Stein slowed at the red light, sparing a glance at his weapon. "Glad to be of service."

The woman giggled, looking away and then looking back as Stein smirked at her. The glance turned into more of a stare as the weapon licked her lip, leaning forward closer to her meister. Stein made sure his foot was firmly on the brake pedal as he reached a hand out and tucked another blonde wisp of hair behind his (girlfriend's?) partner's ear.

Spirit felt his eyelid twitch and his hand throb. "For the love of Death! Stein! The light is green."

"Shut up, Spirit," Marie and Stein said, and the blonde flushed once more, biting at her lower lip.

Upon hearing the honk behind him, Stein tore his gaze away from Marie and continued driving, but made sure to give her ample glances at every stop on their way to school. Marie played with the hem of her skirt, debating whether she should sit on her hands so she'd be less tempted to do something she might regret.

Spirit pressed his back against the plush of the seat and grumbled.

* * *

 **So, anyone sick of me yet? Everyone? Ah, good to see we're all on the same page! :)**

 **I can't help it, I love them so much. Also: all silliness is purely intentional. Meeeeeow.**


End file.
